1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a microchip comprising biomolecules such as proteins or nucleic acids, and more particularly to a microreactor comprising a plurality of reaction systems utilizing the microchip.
2. Related Art Statements
Sequencing of human genome has been completed owing of progress in human genome researching. Although the complete sequencing of the human genome is very important achievement of life science, this is only the beginning of further problems. The importance issues of fundamental and applied research have already shifted to investigation of functions of individual genes, i.e. the functions of proteins produced by the individual genes. Investigation of individual gene expression mechanism is very important as well as the investigation of functions. Anyway, to investigate such problems, a technology that many kinds of samples or minute amount of samples can simultaneously analyzed is essential for execution of these investigations.
A microarray i.e. microchip technology has attracted attention as an important technology which makes possible to implement the purposes and is developing rapidly. A photolithography, a mechanical-spotting method, and an inkjet method, etc. as a manufacturing technology of DNA microarrays, have been in practical use (refer to a document “Trends in Biotechnology, 16”, 1998, pp. 301-306). In addition, some technologies, that bondings or bindings between a number of proteins and ligands can simultaneously be detected, are going to be developed. The technologies are followings: a microchip technology combining with a mass spectrometry (refer to a document “Mass Spectrometry Reviews, 16”, 1997, pp. 1-23); an acrylamide gel pad method (refer to a document “Anal. Biochem., 278”, 2000, pp. 123-131); a polyvinylidene difluoride membrane method (refer to a document “Anal. Biochem., 270”, 1999, pp. 103-111); and a two-hybrid assay (refer to a document “Nature, 403”, 2000, pp. 623-627), etc. As a method applicable to both DNAs and proteins, an electrospray deposition method is disclosed (refer to a document “Anal. Chem. 71”, 1999, pp. 3110-3117).
On the other hand, a technology that a variety of chemical reactions are performed on a microchip using minute amount of samples, which is referred to as “Lab-On-Chip” or “Integrated-Chip”, is studied for various purposes. A part of the technology has reached a stage of practical use (refer to Japanese documents and a web site “Pharmacia, 36”, 2000, pp. 34-38; “Chemical (Kagaku), 54(10)”, 1999, pp 14-19; and http://www/calipertech.com/welcome.html, etc.).
In order to know a hybridization condition of a gene (i.e. amount of production of mRNA), hybridization must be detected using a labeling compound such as a fluorescent material. Thereby detecting bonds on the DNA microchip and identification of bonded substances can be performed at the same time. In case of proteins if both a targeted protein or DNA, and a ligand which bonds with that target material are known and antibodies to the substances are available, both detection and identification of a targeted substance can be performed on the proteins microchip at the same time using a conventional enzyme label immunoassay or an fluorescence immunoassay.
However, if functions or structures of either or both a protein and a compound which combines with the protein are unknown, a separate device or technique must be required for detection of bonds or bindings and identification of the substance which is generated by the bonds, respectively. In order to identify a compound(s) which is generated by combination with the protein, after detection of bonds about the compound on the microchip, the compound must be extracted to be analyzed in various tests. For a DNA microchip, when it is desired to investigate factors of regulation of gene expression, similar process is needed.